community in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Garden Valley, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (49th). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, 0.1 mi S.
When is the honey flow in Garden Valley?
- First forage: Mar 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Garden Valley, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, snowberry, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, asters; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows; light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Garden Valley
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.1 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi SE.
How Garden Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 86th | 78th | 85th | 77th |
| Idaho | 99th | 99th | 90th | 49th |
| Idaho Batholith | 99th | 100th | 86th | 38th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Garden Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Crouch 2 mi · Banks 9 mi · Placerville 10 mi · Smiths Ferry 16 mi · Horseshoe Bend 17 mi · Lowman 17 mi
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Garden Valley (44.0834, -115.9585); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.